Impact of the Safe Water System on Water Quality in Cyclone-Affected Communities in Madagascar

Abstract

Cyclone Hudah struck the northeastern coast of Madagascar in the spring of 2000. Over a 5-month period, 11 700 relief kits consisting of bottles of water disinfectant and foldable jerry cans were distributed to the affected population. Five months after the cyclone, a survey was conducted in 12 villages to determine the impact of these relief kits on water quality. Seventy-six percent of the surveyed households reported using jerry cans, and 65% reported using the disinfectant. Stored water in households using both products had significantly less microbiological contamination than stored water in other households. To improve the prospects for a sustainable intervention, the response plan for future disasters should incorporate a transition to recovery and development, including formative research into local customs, beliefs, and water handling habits, and funding support to initiate social marketing.

Social Marketing in Public Health

“…State and local communities are using social marketing to increase utilization of the Supplemental Food and Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), prenatal care, low cost mammograms, and other health services (9). Internationally, social marketing has been used to improve access to potable water (42), eliminate leprosy in Sri Lanka (55), increase tuberculosis medicine adherence (37), and promote immunizations and its key elements and advancing current knowledge. First, we provide a practical definition, discuss social marketing's conceptual underpinnings, and present case studies to illustrate its application in public health.…”

WASH Interventions in Disease Outbreak Response

“…As heterogeneity and bias of the studies is high, meta-analysis was not conducted. Some of the heterogeneity could be explained by the active promotion of liquid chlorine before the outbreaks in the two studies with higher use rates in the DRC (Tokplo, 2015) and Madagascar (Mong et al, 2001). Cost may explain the low use in Madagascar (Dunston et al, 2001) as the free distribution of the same product had much higher rates in the same area (Mong et al, 2001).…”

“…Cost may explain the low use in Madagascar (Dunston et al, 2001) as the free distribution of the same product had much higher rates in the same area (Mong et al, 2001). Excessive dosing is observed in Madagascar (FCR >3.5mg/L) (Mong et al, 2001) and taste is only noted as a hindrance to use in Nepal (Lantagne and Clasen, 2012 Liquid chlorine is more often linked to long-term development approaches, including promotion (compared with distribution), cost-recovery, social marketing (Dunston et al, 2001), local production (Date et al, 2013) and vouchers (ACF, 2014b). These programme types were all used in liquid chlorine programming, and not described in other interventions.…”

Short-term WASH interventions in emergency response: a systematic review

“…(Tokplo 2015) and Madagascar (Mong et al 2001). Cost may explain the low use in Madagascar (Dunston et al 2001) as the free distribution of the same product had much higher rates in the same area (Mong et al 2001).…”

“…(Tokplo 2015) and Madagascar (Mong et al 2001). Cost may explain the low use in Madagascar (Dunston et al 2001) as the free distribution of the same product had much higher rates in the same area (Mong et al 2001). Excessive dosing was observed in Madagascar (FCR >3.5 mg/L) (Mong et al 2001) and taste was noted as a hindrance to use in Nepal and Philippines (Lantagne andClasen 2012, Plan 2013 Figure 18 ** 'Peak rates' mentioned but suitable for comparison in Figure 18 As noted in the chlorine tablet section above, the effectiveness of liquid chlorine on total and faecal coliforms was measured during a flood in Bangladesh in one document (Sirajul Islam et al 2007).…”